In-depth: Is Rafael Benitez the right man for Real Madrid?

After a season that promised so much in 2014 but delivered so little in 2015, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti was swiftly sacked as coach of Real Madrid. The Italian did what Carlos Queiroz, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster, Juande Ramos, Manuel Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho had hoped to achieve but couldn't deliver - winning La Decima - a 10th Champions League trophy. That was still not enough for the Real Madrid board to give him another chance after a season of near-misses, proving again that only winning is good enough at the Bernabeu.

It appears that the club have acted swiftly to recruit Ancelotti's replacement with Rafa Benitez "99 percent" certain to become the club's new coach, according to the agent of the departing Italian. Despite the Spaniard's links to the club, having played for Real Madrid's reserve side, Real Madrid Castilla, for most of his playing career and starting his coaching career with Real Madrid B, the club's decision to go for the 55-year-old has raised a few eyebrows. Without a league title win as a manager since 2004, there is a sense that Benitez may not be the proven winner that Real Madrid really crave... but is that fair?

Somewhat predictably it appears that the Spaniard would be keen on managing Real Madrid. His agent, Garcia Quilon, was quoted as saying, "...Rafa has been a Madrid player, a Madrid [youth] coach, and is from Madrid, so who would be upset by that? I am not inside his head, but I would imagine he would be delighted to coach Real Madrid at some time." The Spaniard has one more game as Napoli head coach, against Lazio, needing a win to secure third place and the final Champions League qualifying spot, leapfrogging the Rome club.

While the Spaniard has not won a league title for 11 years, he still has an impressive list of honours to his name. A Champions League title win at Liverpool still makes him an admired figure at the club, with some supporters singing his name during last weekend's humiliating 6-1 defeat to Stoke City, before following that up with the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup and the Community Shield during a very successful first two season's at Anfield. While the trophy run may not have continued at the club, he did pick up silverware during his brief spells as Inter and Chelsea head coach, winning the Supercoppa Italiana and the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup with the Italians before claiming the Europa League at Stamford Bridge. His two-year spell at Napoli followed the trend, with a Coppa Italia victory and another Supercoppa Italiana.

Benitez's CV shows that he is often very successful in the early stages of his time at a club, winning a trophy in his first season at his last seven clubs. Within the game the Spaniard is seen as one of the best tacticians around, meaning he can fine-tune the squad that he inherits and maximise their ability. Considering that Real Madrid have had 11 coaches in the last 11 years, seeking out someone who makes an instant impact could be a very smart move. On top of that, Benitez's title successes, even if a long time ago, were with an un-fancied Valencia side in 2001-2002 and 2003-2004, meaning his additional knowledge of Spanish football could make the difference in domestic football. He was also named as UEFA Manager of the Year in 2003-04 and 2004-05, beating the likes of Arsene Wenger who led his Arsenal side through an unbeaten Premier League season.

Charlie Eccleshare (The Telegraph): "Benitez hasn't won a League title since 2004, and his last Champions League success was in 2005. Given Ancelotti was sacked only a year after winning the Champions League, there may be some in Madrid who are a little sceptical at Benitez's appointment. The new manager needs to use the club's absurd short-termism to his advantage - if he is able to pick up results quickly, then no-one will care a jot what he's done in the previous 10 years. If Real start the season badly however, questions will be asked very quickly about whether Benitez is the right man for the job."

Sheridan Bird (Mirror): The 55-year-old will leave the Bay of Naples in the coming weeks and Real Madrid is one luxurious destination mooted. As a younger man Benitez coached junior sides at the Bernabeu and would be welcomed back as one of the prestigious club’s own. Would he be a success at the 10-time European champions? It depends on which Napoli fan you ask. At times the Azzurri played slick, exciting football, but the tactical inflexibility and disconcerting failure to build a reliable defence blighted his stay in the south of Italy.

Even in the short-term world of Real Madrid. Rafa Benitez will be under intense scrutiny in the early weeks of his spell as head coach. Having missed out on the league title to bitter rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the last three seasons, Real will be desperate to reassert their dominance on a domestic level. Benitez has it all to prove in that regard, with a reputation for tinkering with his starting line-up and a lack of killer touch counting against him. Getting the best out of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo early on could well make all the difference.